This invention relates to devices used for handling automotive gears, specifically to a manually operated tong-like gear pliers apparatus, and a method for its use, which allows an operator to grab hold of a hot ratio gear in the quick-change rear end of a race vehicle and remove the gear quickly, with minimal risk of operator injury, and with little or no mess. The gear pliers have opposing jaw elements that each have more than three-fourths of its distal end cut away, with the remaining mass of each jaw element formed into five flat surfaces positioned at precise non-90xc2x0 angles relative to one another which allow the jaw elements to securely fit between the external teeth on a multitude of sizes of ratio gears. The gear pliers jaw elements also have distal and proximal protuberances for contact with the back and front surfaces of a supported gear to keep the gear from slipping out of the grasp of the jaw elements during gear handling and transport, so that one hot gear at a time, covered in hot gear lube, can be promptly extracted by a mechanic from the hot quick-change rear end of a race vehicle, and thereafter quickly and securely transported to an intended location without the direct contact between the hot gear lube and the mechanic that typically causes hot gear lube on an extracted gear to soak through gloves and burn mechanic fingers. The most anticipated application, although not limited thereto, is use during track testing, race practice, and race qualifying sessions with race vehicles having a quick-change rear end to rapidly change out hot ratio gears as part of an effort to determine optimal vehicle performance under a specified set of track conditions.
A vehicle""s transmission transfers engine power to the drive wheels through a set of gears that either multiply the torque or transfer it directly to the drive shaft depending on the driving needs. The transmission receives torque from the engine through the clutch assembly connected to the transmission""s input shaft. The gears in a transmission adapt available engine power to meet the changing conditions of the road and provide optimum torque for a given engine speed. Smaller gears provide more torque at lower speeds and allow a vehicle to start moving or drive uphill. Larger gears provide less torque at higher speeds and allow the vehicle to run more efficiently at high speeds on level ground. Race vehicles may alternatively be driven on a variety of race circuits, to include high speed ovals, tri-ovals, ovals with chicanes to limit top speeds, and road courses with varying combinations of 90xc2x0 turns, hairpins, S-curves, and carousel curves. In addition to the variations in track layout, optimum race vehicle performance is also affected by the number and type of elevation changes in a track, the length of the longest straight, the expected maximum speeds in different portions of the track, track surface conditions, anticipated weather, and desired fuel mileage. While personal vehicles may use only one standard set of gears throughout the life of the vehicle for all driving conditions, the personal and financial rewards of a win motivate race crews to discover every competitive advantage in race vehicle performance, sometimes including extensive track testing and frequent change-out of gears. When gears are changed in a transmission, it typically is allowed to cool, and then removed from the vehicle for gear exchange. However, when a race vehicle has a quick-change rear end, the exchange of gears can occur with the quick-change rear end in place and while the gears are still hot. The rapid replacement of hot gears in a race vehicle having a quick-change rear end can be messy since the extracted gears are covered with hot gear lube. Race crews typically use gloves to handle hot gears, however, the hot gear lube often soaks through gloves and burns mechanic fingers. A tool configured for reaching into the quick-change rear end of a race vehicle to grasp and securely handle a hot ratio gear, as well as stably transport the hot gear covered with hot gear lube to a desired intermediate location, would prevent race crew injury and minimize much of the mess normally associated with gear change-out.
The present invention discloses a manually operated device that can be used to remove and transport hot gears quickly and safely while protecting the operator""s hands from the heat of an extracted gear, as well as the hot gear lube covering it. The gear pliers invention comprises two elongated, single-piece lever members pivotally connected at a fulcrum, each lever member further comprising a straight lower insulated handle; an upper handle transitionally angled with respect to the lower handle; and a jaw element perpendicularly extended with respect to the upper handle, the end of which is substantially cut away and precisely configured. The lower handles are of sufficient length to allow the gloved hand of a mechanic to easily grip them and use the gear pliers with confidence for rapidly grasping and transporting a gear covered with hot messy gear lube to a desired intermediate location pending future use. Insulation provided on the lower handles protects the mechanic""s hands from any heat transfer from the hot gears, or the hot gear lube, that is conducted through the non-insulated portion of the lever members to the handles. Each lever member is preferably made from aluminum rod that has the ability to quickly dissipate heat. Five flat surfaces cut into the distal end of each jaw enable the jaws to fit between adjacent teeth of different race vehicle gears while also providing appropriate surface contact between the jaw elements and the gear teeth to facilitate secure removal and transport of the gear targeted for exchange. A protrusion at the distal end of each jaw element and a second protrusion near to its proximal end also provide stable surfaces between which the front and back of an extracted gear are supported during its removal from the quick-change rear end of a race vehicle and transport to a contaminant-free intermediate location pending future use. No tool, device, or method is known for the safe, secure removal and transport of hot quick-change rear end gears that has all of the advantages offered by the present invention.
The primary object of this invention is to provide a manually operated gear pliers apparatus that can be used to remove and transport hot gears from the quick-change rear end of a race vehicle without operator discomfort or injury. A further object of this invention is to provide a manually operated gear pliers apparatus that can be used to rapidly extract a hot gear from a quick-change rear end and which quickly dissipates heat conducted from the gear as it is being held and transported to enhance operator safety. It is also an object of this invention to provide a gear pliers apparatus with opposing jaws configured to fit between adjacent external gear teeth on opposite sides of a ratio gear to facilitate gear removal and handling. It is a further object of this invention to provide a device adapted for removing hot quick-change rear end gears that securely positions the supported gear between its jaw elements until the operator is ready to release it. A further object of this invention is to provide a device that minimizes the mess created by hot gear lube soaked gears during the gear change-out process. It is also an object of this invention to provide a device for removing hot quick-change rear end gears that can be used in the handling of more than one size of gear. A further object of this invention is to provide a device for extracting and manipulating hot quick-change rear end gears that is light in weight and reliable for easy operator use.
As described herein, properly manufactured and used, the present invention provides a manually operated gear pliers apparatus that would allow a race crew member or mechanic to quickly and safely extract and transport with little or no mess, without injury or discomfort to hands, and without his or her gloves becoming soaked with hot gear lube, a hot gear from a hot quick-change rear end in a race vehicle so that during track testing and practice sessions conducted to determine optimum race vehicle performance, the race vehicle can be promptly returned to the track for additional performance testing. Since the gear pliers comprise two elongated, straight lower handles approximately seven to eight inches in length, it would be easy for a race crew member or mechanic to pick up and manipulate the gear pliers with a gloved hand. Further, since the lower handles are insulated, any heat conducted through the gear pliers from a hot gear or the hot gear lube covering an extracted gear would not burn or provide any discomfort to an operator""s hand. The insulation would also improve the grip of a hand around the lower handles to provide a more secure grasp of the pliers during gear removal and transport. The single-piece construction of each gear pliers lever member enhances its durability and makes it more reliable during repeated use. Also, the pivotal connection of the transitionally angled upper handles at a fulcrum provides a range of jaw movement to accommodate different sizes of gears. Five flat surfaces positioned at precise angles relative to one another are cut into the inside portion of each jaw element to engage and support the straight external teeth of a ratio gear, and the flat surfaces extend nearly two-thirds of the length of each jaw element for a distance of at least two inches. Approximately three-fourths of the distal end circumference of each jaw element is cut away to form the five flat surfaces. Further, a protrusion at the tip of each jaw element and a second protrusion at the base of each jaw element provide stable surfaces between which the ratio gear is supported during gear extraction and transport. Thus, once the gear pliers are closed around a hot gear in the quick-change rear end of a race vehicle, the gear stays in place between the opposing gear pliers jaw elements during gear removal and transport until the operator is ready to release it. In addition, the use of aluminum rod in the preferred embodiment of the gear pliers makes its lever members light in weight, able to quickly dissipate heat, and easy to manipulate. Since a race crew member would be able to use the present invention to securely and indefinitely hold a hot quick-change rear end gear between its jaws until a convenient contaminant-free holding area could be found for the gear, the mess usually associated with hand removal of a quick-change rear end gear covered with hot gear lube would be minimized.
The description herein provides the preferred embodiments of the present invention but should not be construed as limiting the scope of the gear pliers invention. For example, the overall size of the lever members; the thickness of the insulation on the handles; the type of material used to construct the gear pliers; the type of fastener used at the fulcrum; and the length of the jaw elements, other than those shown and described herein, may be incorporated into the present invention. Thus, the scope of the present invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than the examples given.